The present invention relates to systems and devices connected using wireless links, such as systems and devices that use the Bluetooth technology. In particular, the present invention pertains to a method and system for controlling remote devices over a wireless connection.
Consider, for example, the number of devices and appliances in the typical living room or family room of a residential dwelling: lamps, light switches, a thermostat, and consumer electronic devices such as televisions, video cassette recorders, and stereos, some of these devices themselves comprising multiple devices such as compact disk players, tape players, etc. Each of these devices requires manual interaction by a user in order to turn them off or on, to raise or lower levels, and so on. Other rooms of the house, as well as factories and places of business, also have countless devices and appliances that require manual interaction in order to use and control them.
Of course, many of these devices are or can be remotely controlled. In the home, for example, remote control devices for televisions, stereos and the like are very common. Devices for controlling lights, etc., are also available although generally not as commonly used.
Remote control devices in each of their present forms have a number of associated shortcomings. For example, a separate remote control device may be required for each device to be controlled. In some instances the separate remotes can be replaced with a universal remote control; however, universal remotes still have their shortcomings. Generally, current universal remotes often do not have the resources (e.g., memory and computational logic) to allow them to be used with all devices, or they may not be capable of controlling a new device. In addition, in order to accommodate the variety of devices to be controlled, universal remotes usually have a multiplicity of buttons and thus can be difficult to use.
Another shortcoming associated with current remote control devices is their limited range. Commonly, remote control devices use infrared beams to communicate commands to the device that is to be controlled, and so the remotes can only be used for line-of-sight applications. Devices behind an object, around a corner, or in another room cannot be controlled if they are not in the line of sight of an infrared remote.
A more modern solution is to wire devices together into a network of some sort, so that they can be controlled from a central location such as a personal computer. However, this approach also has a number of shortcomings. For example, the connections and cabling needed may be quite cumbersome and complex. In addition, this approach is difficult and expensive to backfit into existing homes and businesses. Furthermore, such an approach is not necessarily convenient. For instance, the central computer system is not a practical or convenient replacement for a television remote, nor is it portable enough to allow it to be easily moved from one room to another whenever it is necessary to do so.
Accordingly, a need exists for a device and/or method that can be used to remotely control a variety of different devices and appliances, including new devices. A need also exists for a device and/or method that can satisfy the above need, that is relatively simple to introduce into existing homes and businesses, and that is user-friendly. In addition, a need exists for a device and/or method that satisfies the above needs, is portable, and is not limited to line-of-sight applications.
The present invention provides a system and method that can be used to remotely control a variety of different devices, including new devices. The present invention also provides a system and method that is relatively easy to introduce into existing homes and businesses and that is user-friendly. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method that is portable and that is not limited to line-of-sight applications.
In the present embodiment, the present invention pertains to a system and method for controlling remote devices over a wireless connection (e.g., using a radio signal). In one embodiment, a portable computer system (e.g., a palmtop or hand-held computer) having a transceiver is used to control compliant devices. In a preferred embodiment, the transceiver and the remote devices are Bluetooth-enabled devices.
In the present embodiment of the present invention, a wireless connection between the portable computer system and one or more remote devices is established. Each of the remote devices is manifested on a display device of the portable computer system, and one of the devices is selected using, for example, a stylus element.
In one embodiment, the stylus element can also be used to specify commands for controlling the remote device. A position where the stylus element makes contact with a surface of the display device of the portable computer system is registered. The particular position where the stylus element makes contact with the display device is translated into a particular command for controlling the remote device. The command is then transmitted to the remote device over the wireless connection.
In one embodiment, a rendering of the remote device or of a mechanism that can be used to control the remote device is displayed on the display device. The contact of the stylus element with a position in the rendering is translated into a particular command for controlling the remote device. In another embodiment, a menu of commands for controlling the remote device is displayed on the display device. The contact of the stylus element with a position in the menu is translated into a particular command for controlling the remote device.
In yet another embodiment, the movement of the stylus element over the surface of an input device is recognized and translated into a particular command for controlling the remote device. In another embodiment, by moving the stylus element over the surface of the input device, motion is imparted to the rendering on the display device of the remote device or the mechanism for controlling the remote device.
The present invention thus provides a system (e.g., a Bluetooth-enabled device, specifically a portable computer system) that can be used to remotely control compliant devices (e.g., other Bluetooth-enabled devices) over a wireless (radio) connection. With a radio connection, the system of the present invention is not limited to line-of-sight applications. Remote devices can be adapted to receive commands over the wireless connection, obviating the need for hardwire connections and making the system relatively easy to implement in homes and businesses. The processing power and other features of the portable computer system enable user-friendly interfaces, and also allow a variety of remote devices to be controlled, including new devices introduced into the home or business.